10K cash seized after drugs farm busted

Officers have arrested two men after drugs warrants were executed in the Staffordshire Moorlands and Stoke-on-Trent.

The warrants were carried out simultaneously in High Street, Cheadle, and Creswell Road, Hanley, at around 7.30pm on Friday 10 January.

A cannabis factory of around 60 large plants and a ‘cannabis nursery’ containing approximately 208 smaller plants was discovered at the address in Cheadle.

Officers were accompanied on the operation by colleagues from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) who seized a vehicle from the premises due to it being run on red diesel.

A large amount of cash (in excess of £10,000) was seized from the address in Hanley as it is suspected to have been obtained through the proceeds of crime.

HMRC officers also seized a large quantity of red diesel at this address.

Two men from Hanley, aged 38 and 39, were arrested at the Cheadle address on suspicion of being concerned in the cultivation and supply of cannabis and also for abstracting electricity. They were released on bail, pending further inquiries, to a date in March.

PC Dave Stubbs, investigating officer, said: “These warrants formed part of the force’s on-going Operation Nemesis campaign which aims to crackdown on drug dealers. Officers based at Cheadle were supported by officers from the Special Constabulary, colleagues from the Dog Support Unit and Tactical Support Team on the night.

“This action has been taken as a direct result of information received from the local community and our partner agencies. Our message to drug dealers and criminals is simple – we are not going away and will continue working with partners to rid communities of the scourge of drug dealing and the negative affect it has on neighbourhoods and families.

“Cheadle is one of the safest areas in the country to live and my colleagues and I are determined to ensure it stays that way. The local community has been telling us that they want us to take robust and positive action against those who are involved in the production and supply of drugs and the anti-social behaviour and the other criminality it attracts.”

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Sajid Javid speech was received with warmth as he promised to prioritise police spending as he offered an olive branch to rank-and-file officers.

Mr Javid was welcomed to the Police Fed conference and received support from the front line cops following Amber Rudds poor reception last year over budget cuts and staffing reductions.

This was a testing first speech the Home Secretary who wanted to try and draw a line under the era of running battles between the Government and the police.

Following mounting pressures faced by officers faced with policing cuts.

As of September there were 121,929 officers across the 43 territorial forces in England and Wales – a fall of nearly 20,000 compared with a decade earlier.

A pleasure to speak to @PFEW_HQ about how I will approach policing, and hear concerns from the frontline with crime. I will give you the tools, powers and back-up you need to do the job #polfed18pic.twitter.com/xS85Rtotaf

Referring to stop and search, he told the Police Federation of England and Wales’ (PFEW) annual conference in Birmingham: “Some of you don’t feel comfortable using it – and that’s not how it should be.

“I have confidence in your professional judgment. So let me be clear – I support the use of stop and search.

“You have to do your job and that means protecting everyone.”

He said evidence shows that black people are more likely to be a homicide victim than any other ethnic group.

“If stop and search can mean saving lives from the communities most affected, then of course that has to be right,” Mr Javid said.

Following a spate of violence across London and the UK there has been a sharp reduction in stop and search activity , with use of the powers at the lowest level.

Cops faced heavy criticism after they were accused of unfairly focusing on black and minority ethnic individuals.

Theresa May introduced measures in 2014 to ensure stop and search could not be used in this way.

Mr Javid acknowledged that police officers have an increased demand saying “I’m not arrogant enough to turn up here after three weeks in the job and tell you how to do yours,”

Mr Javid added that the government have had to make difficult decisions since 2010 and that he does not have a magic wand to fund everything needed but he said he was “listening and i do get it”.

“We need to think more about the long-term funding of policing.

“I will priorities police funding in the Spending Review next year.”

He said that, including funds raised through council tax, more than £1 billion extra cash is being invested in policing now than three years ago.

Addressing the fact that he had not spent much time in the role, he said that while the position of Home Secretary was his fifth in Government, he had seen the issues involved in policing and worked with the service during his other roles.

He continued that it was “not all about funding” and the Government needed to do more to “protect the protectors”, such as tougher penalties for those who attack emergency services workers, changing the laws on police pursuits, and updating their kit.

Mr Javid pledged to provide “tools, the powers and the back-up that you need to get the job done…

“For those of you who stand on the front line, be in no doubt that I will be standing with you.”

Is @sajidjavid the first guy in the @ukhomeoffice that truly knows and understands policing? His brother is a cop. There is blue blood in the family.